Before the Giants’ game against the Hiroshima Carp in Gifu on May 12, infielder Naoki Yoshikawa took time to interact with young students from his alma mater. Twenty students from the fifth to ninth grades of the Gifu City Kuwabara Gakuen, a combined elementary and junior high school that includes Yoshikawa’s former schools Kuwabara Elementary and Kuwabara Junior High, gathered to ask him questions.
When asked, “What has been the happiest moment and the toughest challenge since becoming a professional baseball player?” Yoshikawa replied, “The happiest moments come from the support of so many fans, especially when I get to play in my hometown and see friends and family come out to watch. The toughest challenge is managing the daily games and the mental reset needed—every day brings a new result, good or bad, and switching focus is hard.”
Another student asked, “What is your most memorable moment in your baseball career?” Yoshikawa recalled, “There are so many, but one that stands out is a game five years ago at Nagaragawa Stadium, where I had three hits and four RBIs. It was the first time I played there in years, we won, and I got to do the postgame hero interview.” That game was against the Yakult Swallows on August 31, 2021.
